I went there in the hope that Ben and his new family would be there, and because I wanted to make a small donation to RDRP,

Ben was not there, but I got my greyhound fix. As I scratched the head and haunches of one of the beasts he pressed his body into my legs. That was so good. I was tempted to say "come home and live with me". I resisted that temptation because I should not have a dog in my home until after my summer and early autumn travels... but I was on the brink!

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Meanwhile Adelaide is a bit out of sorts. She hasn't eaten all day (even when I tempted her with a bit of tasty tuna); she's been yowling a bit, and hiding herself in quiet places.

Late this afternoon I saw that she is limping a wee bit. I tend not to think that any of her limbs are broken because she has been quite capable of jumping up to a window sill (not the one in the picture above); and into a pile of towels in my linen closet.

I've made her a comfortable bed in the screened in porch, where she has food, drink, and a litter box. I'll "let it be"until Monday (unless she shows signs of deep distress).

In the meantime I have given Adelaide a lot of snuggles She likes this. (and as my family members who have visited me from the U.K. know, I like/d my cat/s (including the late lamented Ada), but I am not much of a cat snuggler.

Friday, 30 June 2017

fracquaintance is my word for those people who are nor close enough to me to be called friend, but who are closer than a mere acquaintance.

I encountered two such persons on Thursday last.

Meesum is a fine young man who works for 7/11. He used to be at my nearest 7/11 (Tuttle and 12th SRQ). I go to this place for gas, it's just 1.8 miles from my home. I always pay cash in advance at the cash register (the Credit/Debit card readers at the pumps an be compromised with skimmers).
Thus I got to encounter Meesum who was unfailingly polite, friendly and cheerful. We often exchanged cheerful and gracious banter.

He was promoted to be the Manager at another 7/11 up on Lockwood Ridge Road (near DeSoto). I missed seeing him.

On Thursday I was pumping gas/petrol in the early morning. Another car drove in, and the driver waved at me. He went into the store and out again within two minutes, then he backed up his car to where I stood - then I realised that it was Meesum who was paying a visit to his "old" store.

He took the time to greet me! We exchanged some friendly chat. How wonderful when a store clerk/assistant become a fracquaintance.

My trash is picked up every Thursday by employees of Waste Management, working for, or on behalf of the City of Sarasota.

Those men and women work like crazy. My regular is a fifty something man named Eddie - married with two grown up daughters, He is a joy and delight. If I happen to be outside when he is on my street he always stops his vehicle, jumps out, and shakes my hand. We exchange happy greetings.

What a good world in which I know the name of my trash collector, and he knows mine.

Monday, 26 June 2017

In a recent comment about government cutbacks to Health Care (NHS) and Public Education the U.K. Prime Minister, Theresa May defended her austerity programmes by stating that "there is no magic money tree.".

How soon she forgets. Today she found such a tree, which released One Billion Pounds to bribe the Northern Ireland "Democratic Unionist Party" into supporting her reactionary programme in the U.K. Parliament, and thus assure her of a Parliamentary Majority. That translates into a Ten Million Pound bribe to each of the D.U.P. Members who sit in the U.K. parliament.

Sunday, 25 June 2017

I have mentioned my enrollment in a Sarasota Memorial Hospital cardio rehab. programme called Health Fit. It is run in the SMH complex at Rand Boulevard, off Clark Rd in SRQ. I like it.

It's a good programme, but with limitations. We meet for just one hour three days each week,. It's a short hour after we (the ten or so participants) have checked in, fitted our heart monitors and had our blood pressure measured; and then after about 50 minutes of exercise returned to the desk to have our blood pressure taken again before we leave.

That one hour is reduced to 45 minutes on Fridays to make time for an optional 15 minute educational presentation.

That's not enough, but thanks to a programme available to Episcopal Church retirees called "Silver Sneakers" I can get free membership in a local gym. Thus I can get more exercise than Health Fit affords. I have hooked up in the local YMCA which is open seven days a week,

My orientation was given by Don, an almost 80 years old man who is as fit and lean as many of the young studs at the Y.

About Me

I am from a blue collar background in Bristol, England, and was educated in the days of the 11+ system.
I am one of nine children. My eight siblings live in England.
After school I was first a banker; then a seminarian; then an Episcopal Priest.
I trained for ordained ministry at St. John's College, Nottingham, U.K; and the University of Nottingham from which I was graduated with the degree Bachelor in Theology.
I had 30 years of parish ministry in Massachusetts. (Fitchburg, Chicopee, Pittsfield and Cambridge).
Now retired, I live in Sarasota, FL.
My mantra: - "There is no secular world".